Most In Demand (Tech) Jobs in Boston
A recent article by David L. Harris for the Boston Business Journal highlighted the top 25 open jobs based on research conducted by The Conference Board of August job postings in the area. While the buckets are broad it is no surprise that their information matches up with what we see here. While the various management categories more than likely contain some IT managers and executives – these “buckets” reflect the top IT roles open during the month of August.
#22 on the list – Network Systems Analysts – 1,492 openings – These roles remain in consistently high demand around the region. Many companies are finding that it is not as easy as it once was to find mid to senior folks as that group has moved into other areas of technology (O365, Security, AWS, etc.) where there is more runway for career and compensation growth. As a result there are more opportunities for junior to mid-level folks to move ahead with the more traditional Network technologies.
#17 on the list – Computer Systems Analysts – 1,744 openings – These roles differ from the Network roles in that they tend to work in support of various applications and remain in steady demand. Strong expertise on a particular software platform is usually required (think the ever present Salesforce) and companies do not often have the luxury of being able to train their key technology on the job. You may hit 90% of the skills for these roles – but if you don’t have THE skill you won’t get a call.
#16 on the list – Computer User Support – 1,752 openings – Finding quality IT support professionals is a constant in the market. These roles provide great opportunities for both experienced professionals and for junior and entry level people looking to grow their technology skills and experience.
#5 on the list – Computer All Other – 2,957 openings – This is not the most helpful title for a group of people but is strangely reflective of technology roles. Given that a job title at one company may do perform a wildly different role than someone with the same title at another there are many IT roles that don’t fit into a single category. Hence – “Computer All Other”.
#2 on the list – Software Application Developers – 3,560 – I would argue that this title is not much better than “Computer All Other” in that the 3,560 openings may reflect 3,560 unique types of developers. While that may be a bit of a stretch most would agree that a developer here is not a developer there. Full Stack with the ability to code at an advanced level in Javascript seems to be leading the charge here in our office. While the challenge of finding developers for every role is significant the competition for those folks has reached the top of the list!
According to the research – there are more open jobs than unemployed people in the marketplace. That said – and this is particularly true in IT – if you don’t have the right skills it is still hard to land these jobs. With so many openings it can be overwhelming to do your research as well. You may have looked at 1,000 developer roles which means you haven’t looked at 2,560 open developer roles. What does that mean to you? If you are actively looking we offer the same advice to everyone. Communicate within your network directly and consistently. Your contacts will have detailed insight into what is going on within their space and will be able to help influence your hunt directly. And work with a good agency. At a minimum we can help you analyze what you see in the market as well as provide you opportunities you may not have found on your own!
Eric joined TSP as the Managing Partner of the project management practice. Eric has over 15 years of hands-on project management experience with clients ranging from the SMB space to the Fortune 100. He has successfully managed projects and programs ranging from small server build outs to multi-million dollar implementations. Eric’s goal in creating the project management practice is to leverage his understanding of project management into a high quality relationship for both the client and the project manager.
